Flexible spa control system and method of using same

ABSTRACT

A spa communication system for establishing a communication link between a central spa box having a control module and spa components in a spa system. The spa control module is connected to the spa components through a communication link, and the spa control module sends command signals to at least one spa component and receives status information from at least one spa component on the communication link.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application is a divisional of copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/653,748.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The instant invention relates to spa systems, and moreparticularly to a spa control system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is well known that spas, whirlpools, therapeutic baths, andthe like are designed to provide relaxation and a hydrotherapeuticmassage. In the past, spa controllers were specifically designed andbuilt for a known spa configuration. These spa controllers had to bereplaced with new spa controllers whenever any new feature or componentto the spa was added or additional spa controllers had to be added. Thisrequired significant engineering and manufacturing effort to modify thespa and was not cost effective.

[0004] As consumers demanded more features, the industry responded.Features such as the ability to remotely control the spa were added tothe controllers. These features made operating the spa system easier andmore consumer-friendly, but the ability to add components was stillproblematic and required significant effort and cost to add componentsto the spa system.

[0005] In response to consumer demand, more sophisticated controllerswere offered with limited expansion capabilities. For example, U.S. Pat.No. 5,245,221 ('221) issued to Schmidt, et al. shows a spa controlsystem having limited expansion capability. In the '221 patent,additional control circuit cards are added to the basic control system.Each additional control circuit card carries a separate control circuitfor the particular function that is being added to the spa system. Thenumber of cards that can be added is fixed, which limits the ability toadd additional features. Additionally, this approach requires theconsumer to open up the controller, remove the old spa control card andadd the new spa control card. Many problems are associated with doingthis. An unsophisticated consumer could bend connector pins, installcards in the wrong place, or damage the controller in a number of otherways. Requiring the consumer to open the controller can make themanufacturer liable if the consumer is injured while going through theabove installation process and also makes warranty claims questionable.

[0006] Spa systems are increasingly becoming more and more complex. Newcomponents are being developed. Spa component manufacturers areincorporating connections for microprocessor based control of simpledevices such as light fixtures and are even providing intelligent spacomponents that themselves are microprocessor controlled.

[0007] There is a continued need for a spa controller that includes abasic operational system that can control simple devices as well asintelligent spa components, and that has the flexibility to easily addadditional spa components to the spa system.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of theinstant invention to overcome these problems and other problemsassociated with the current state of spa control systems. Moreparticularly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide anexpandable spa controller that can control both intelligent spacomponents and simple spa components. It is a further object of theinstant invention to provide a flexible spa control system that canaccommodate the addition of optional modular spa features. It is anadditional object of the instant invention to provide a spa controlsystem that is compact in design, that requires a minimum amount ofelectrical wiring for controlling spa components, and that is cost andlabor effective to install.

[0009] In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, itis a feature of the instant invention to provide a communication systemthat allows communication between the spa controller and spa components.It is a further feature of the instant invention to provide a spacontrol system that provides a user interface that allows a user tocheck operational status and spa components at a single location.

[0010] To accomplish the above and other objectives, and in accordancewith the above and other features, a spa control system is providedcomprising a central spa box having a spa control module, at least onespa component, and a communication link between the spa controller andthe spa component. The spa controller provides command signals andstatus request signals to the spa components through the communicationlink. These signals include a spa component identification portion thatidentifies which spa component is being addressed by the spa controller.

[0011] In accordance with the above, a method of detecting andcontrolling an additional spa component in a spa system comprising thesteps of assigning a spa component identification address to theadditional spa component, connecting the additional spa component to acommunication link, determining the address of the additional spacomponent with the spa controller, providing a request for controlinformation by the spa controller and using that control information tocontrol the additional spa component.

[0012] These and other aims, objectives, advantages, and features of theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription all taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Other objectives and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of the system according tothe invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a spa heater component operating inthe system in accordance with the invention;

[0016]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a structure of a signal used in thesystem according to the invention;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing how addresses are assignedaccording to the invention;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing how additional spa componentaddresses are assigned according to the invention; and

[0019]FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram of the invention withadditional components added.

[0020] While the invention will be described in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to thoseembodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In general, the present invention is applicable to spas,whirlpools, therapeutic baths, and the like. For purposes ofillustration only, general concepts and principals of the presentinvention are illustrated in a spa system. As used hereinafter and inthe claims, the term “spa system” shall be understood to include spas,whirlpools, therapeutic baths, and other sorts of liquid containingvessels in which humans or animals are immersed for a variety ofreasons.

[0022]FIG. 1 illustrates a spa system 20. In the spa system 20, variousspa components such as jet pump 22, jet pump 24, bubbler 26, and waterheater 28 are connected to a spa control module 30 located within a spabox 32 through a communication link 34 as will be described in detailhereinbelow. While FIG. 1 shows jet pump 22, jet pump 24, bubbler 26,and water heater 28, it is recognized that the spa system 20 may haveadditional spa components such as remote control panels, ozonegenerators, etc. that are connected to spa control module 30 via thecommunication link 34.

[0023] In addition to the spa control module 30, the spa box 32 also hasa power transformer element 36 and user interface 40. The transformerelement 36 is used to convert electric power from an electric powersource 38 to a control power and it provides the control power to thespa control module 30. A user interface 40 provides user input to thespa control module 30. The user interface 40 can be a touch screen, akey pad, a keyboard, a wireless interface, a voice recognition system,etc. It should be understood that these are just representative examplesof devices to interface to the spa control module 30.

[0024] The jet pump 22 and jet pump 24 operate in conjunction withbubbler 26 and water heater 28 to circulate and heat water and create aturbulent waterflow within the spa system as is known in the art. Jetpumps 22, 24 may be standard jets or pulsating jets. Bubbler 26 may beintegrated with jet pump 22 and jet pump 24.

[0025] A representative example of water heater 28 is shown in FIG. 2.Spa control module 30 regulates the spa water temperature based uponuser input and verifies that thermostat relay 56 is working properly. InFIG. 2, heater control 50 receives on/off control commands from spacontrol module 30 via communication link 34. Heater control 50 operatesthermostat relay 56 based upon control commands from spa control module30. The thermostat relay 56 is cycled on and off by heater control 50 toprovide power from heater power source 52 to heating element 58. Aninterlock relay 60 is connected in series with thermostat relay 56 tosafeguard against overheating of water beyond a preset upper limit,typically about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Heater control 50 providesstatus information to spa control module 30 through communication link34. This status information includes an acknowledgment that a commandwas received, water temperature as detected by temperature sensor 54,and thermostat relay status. It should be understood that alternativeheater devices can be used for controlling the temperature of the spawater.

[0026] In accordance with further features of the invention, acommunication signal 64 is shown in FIG. 3. Communication signal 64 hasa spa component address portion 66, an acknowledgment portion 68, and adata portion 70. The communication signal 64 can follow any standardprotocol such as the I²C protocol, RS-485 protocol, or any othercommunication standard. Communication signal 64 could also follow aproprietary communication protocol. The spa component address portion66, the acknowledgment portion 68, and the data portion 70 can be anynumber of bits. In some protocols, the acknowledgment portion 68 is notnecessary. The data portion 70 is either a control command or a statussignal or a feedback signal.

[0027] Each spa component is assigned a spa component address portion66. FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of how spa components in an initial spaconfiguration are assigned addresses and controlled. A number of spacomponent addresses that will be controlled by the spa control module 30is determined (block 76). The initial number of spa component addressesis based upon the size of the spa system and the number of additionalspa components that are likely to be added in the future. Additional spacomponent addresses can be added when necessary for further expansion ofthe spa control system. The range of addresses is then mapped and aportion of the addresses is assigned to be certain functions such as jetpump, bubbler, etc. (block 78).

[0028] Each spa component is then assigned a spa component address(block 80). For simple devices such as light fixtures or remote controlterminals, this can be accomplished by setting a series of dip switcheson these devices or any other method that is known in the art. Forintelligent spa components, the spa component address can also beassigned in that spa component's software or by programming an EEPROMwith the address.

[0029] Each spa component is connected to communication link 34 (block82). Spa control module 30 detects the spa components by polling eachaddress within the range of addresses on communication link 34 (block84). Each spa component on the communication link 34 issues anacknowledgment to the spa control module 30 on communication link 34.The acknowledgment may be a simple acknowledgment or it may comprisestatus information of a variable length. The spa control module 30 readsthe information until a stop address appears. Alternatively, spa controlmodule 30 can detect components by issuing a general call address on thecommunication link 34. This general call address addresses every spacomponent connected on the communication link 34 and requests a returnacknowledgment from every component.

[0030] Once the spa control module 30 detects a spa component on thecommunication link, it sends a signal on communication link 34 addressedto the spa component (block 86). This signal can be a status informationrequest signal or a control signal. The spa control module 30 controls aspa component by issuing control signals on communication link 34addressed to that spa component (block 88). The spa components sendstatus information back to the spa control module 30 on communicationlink 34 if requested by spa control module 30. The spa control module 30uses the status information to control the spa component and to providestatus information when requested by the user (block 89).

[0031] The present spa control system provides the capability to theuser to easily add spa components. For example, as illustrated in FIG.6, an ancillary panel 90 can be added to do limited control of the spasystem from a remote location. These limited control functions mayinclude features such as programming the temperature setpoint,activating a clean-up cycle, controlling a dimmer module to adjustinglight intensity, etc. An ozone generator 92 can be added for oxygenatingwater within the spa system. A pH or pH/ORP sensor 94 can be added tosense the pH level of water within the system and determine theoxidizing or reducing properties of the water within the spa system. Achemical maintenance component 96 can be added for automaticallycontrolling the level of sanitizing chemicals in the water within thespa system. It should be noted that these are representative examples ofspa components and that other types of spa components can be added.

[0032] The capability to add spa components is accomplished in oneembodiment by providing a number of pre-selected control functions thata user can select from a menu system on the user interface 40. The userselects which control function the spa component fits within. Forexample, a user would select bubbler from the menu system if a bubblermodule is being added to the spa system. Once the control function ischosen, the spa control module 30 assigns an address to the addedcomponent. The user sets the added component to the assigned address aspreviously described.

[0033] In another embodiment, a “plug and play” concept is used. Thisinventive concept is accomplished by following a subset of the steps inFIG. 4 as shown in FIG. 5. Once a new spa component is installed andconnected to the communication link 34, the spa control module 30detects that a new component has been added at start-up through periodicpolling or by periodically issuing a general call address oncommunication link 34. When the new spa component issues anacknowledgment on the communication link 34, the spa control module 30then streams the menu choices to the new component on the communicationlink 34. Based upon the new spa component's response, the spa controlmodule 30 uses that information to control the spa component and theappropriate instruction set is streamloaded via the communication link34 to the new spa component. The spa control module 30 adds that spacomponent to its list of devices that are attached to the communicationlink 34.

[0034] In one embodiment, the spa components are assigned to controlzones. Each control zone is assigned a range of addresses and spacomponents located within the control zone are assigned an address thatis within the range of addresses assigned to that control zone. When anew spa component is added, the spa component is assigned an address inwhich the control zone the component is located using the user interfaceapproach or the “plug and play” approach. Alternatively, otherapproaches to assign addresses can be used. An example of where controlzones are used is in a spa system having multiple spas. Each spa in thesystem and its associated spa components are assigned to a control zone.This allows the spa control module 30 to easily control spas in amultiple spa system independent of the other spas.

[0035] A spa control system has been described that provides a user withthe capability to easily add spa components to a spa system. The spacontrol system provides command signals to spa components and obtainsstatus information from spa components on a communications link.Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoingdescription. Accordingly, this description is to be construed asillustrative only and is for the purposes of teaching those skilled inthe art the best mode for carrying out the invention. The details of thestructure may be varied substantially without departing from the spiritof the invention, and exclusive use of all modifications that comewithin the scope of the appended claims is reserved.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spa communication system for establishing acommunication link between a spa box and spa components in a spa systemcomprising: a spa box having a spa control module, said spa controlmodule having a communication link; at least one spa component being incommunication with said spa control module through said communicationlink; and whereby said spa control module controls said spa component byproviding a command signal on said communication link to said spacomponent.
 2. The spa communication system of claim 1 wherein said spacomponent provides at least one status parameter, said at least onestatus parameter communicated to said spa control module via saidcommunication link, said spa control module providing said statusparameter to a user interface panel in response to a user selection. 3.The spa communication system of claim 1 wherein said spa control modulecontrols at least one spa component on said communication link with acontrol signal, said control signal including a spa componentidentification address portion and a control portion, said at least onespa component having a spa component identification address, said atleast one spa component performing an operation in response to said spacontrol module when said spa component identification address portion ofsaid control signal matches said spa component identification address.4. The spa communication system of claim 3 wherein said at least one spacomponent comprises at least one jet for directing water flow within aspa enclosure and at least one pump for pumping water to said at leastone jet.
 5. The spa communication system of claim 4 wherein said atleast one spa component further comprises heating means to heat thewater as the water flows through the spa, said heating means maintainingthe water near a user settable temperature setpoint, said heating meansincluding an interlock mechanism to prevent said heater from heating thewater when water temperature exceeds a temperature safety cut-off level,said spa control module providing commands on said communication link tosaid heating means, said at least one pump, and said at least one jet tocirculate and heat water and create a turbulent water flow within saidspa enclosure.
 6. The spa communication system of claim 3 wherein saidcommunication link comprises an I²C interface and said control signal isconfigured as an I²C control signal.
 7. The spa communication system ofclaim 3 wherein said communication link comprises an RS-485 interfaceand said control signal is configured as an RS-485 control signal.
 8. Amethod of providing control signals in a spa system having a spa box andspa components, the spa box having a spa control module and a userinterface panel, the method comprising the steps of: addressing acommand signal to at least one of said spa components; sending saidcommand signal on said communication link to at least one of said spacomponents; and controlling said at least one of said spa components. 9.The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of: requesting statusinformation from at least one of said spa components; providing at leastone status parameter of said at least one of said spa components to saidspa control module through said communication link; and providing saidstatus parameters to the user interface panel.
 10. The method of claim 8further comprising the steps of: requesting status information from atleast one of said spa components; providing at least one statusparameter of said at least one of said spa components to said spacontrol module through said communication link; and storing said statusparameters in memory.
 11. The method of claim 8 further comprising thesteps of: providing a plurality of said spa components with a spacomponent identification address; and controlling said plurality of saidspa components with a plurality of control signals on said communicationlink, each one of said plurality of control signals having a spacomponent identification address portion and a command portion; and eachof said plurality of spa components performing an operation in responseto said control signal when said spa component identification addressportion of said control signal matches said spa component identificationaddress.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step offormatting said control signal for the I²C standard.
 13. The method ofclaim 11 further comprising the step of formatting said control signalfor the RS-485 standard.
 14. A method of detecting and controlling anadditional spa component in a spa system, the spa system having acommunication link between a spa control module and spa components, theadditional spa component having a spa component address and connected tothe communication link, the method comprising the steps of: performingone of polling spa component addresses in the spa system and providing ageneral call command on said communication link, the general callcommand requesting an answer from each spa component on saidcommunication link; receiving a response from the additional spacomponent; determining the spa component address of the additional spacomponent; providing a request for control information to saidadditional spa component with said spa control module on a communicationlink, the request sent to the spa component address of the additionalspa component; receiving the control information; and storing thecontrol information in memory, the control information used to controlthe additional spa component.
 15. The method of claim 14 furthercomprising the step of pre-assigning the spa component address, the stepof pre-assigning comprising the steps of: listing said spa componentsand potential additional spa components of said spa system; determininga range of spa component addresses for said spa control module tocontrol; assigning each of said spa components and said potentialadditional spa components a spa component address within said range ofaddresses.
 16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:assigning zones within said spa system where spa components are located;determining which zone each of said spa components is located; assigningeach of said zones a zone range of addresses; and assigning each of saidspa components an address within said zone range of addresses assignedto the zone where each of said spa components is located.
 17. The methodof claim 16 further comprising the steps of: determining which of saidzones said additional spa component is located within; assigning saidadditional spa component an address within said zone range of addressesassigned to the zone where said additional component is located.